Cortinarius semisanguineus

[Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Cortinariaceae > Cortinarius > Dermocybe ... ]

by Michael Kuo

Among the Cortinarius species with blood-red gills, Cortinarius semisanguineus is distinguished by its yellowish brown to olive brown cap, its pale stem, and its reaction to KOH (promptly purplish black). Other members of the group, which is known as subgenus Dermocybe, section Sanguinei to mycologists, have caps that are more red or orange, and react differently to KOH.

There are a number of variants of Cortinarius semisanguineus, based on the color of the gills (ranging from yellowish to blood red to orangish) and the stem (ranging from yellowish to orangish or whitish). Spore size is also fairly variable in the species, according to Dermocybe expert Joseph Ammirati.

Cortinarius semisanguineus may be poisonous, so it should not be eaten. Those who make dyes from mushrooms, however, will treasure its strong pigments.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with conifers, especially pines (rarely with hardwoods); growing alone or scattered, often in moss; summer and fall; widely distributed in North America.

Cap: 2-7 cm; more or less convex at first, becoming broadly convex, flat, or broadly bell-shaped, sometimes with a sharp central bump; dry; silky; yellowish brown to cinnamon brown, often darker over the center.

Gills: Attached to the stem but often pulling away from it in age; close; blood red, becoming cinnamon to rusty; covered by a yellowish cortina when young.

Stem: 5-10 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick at the apex; more or less equal; dry; silky; usually pale yellowish, but often darker or reddish toward the base; often with a rusty ring zone.

Flesh: Whitish or pale yellowish.

Odor: Mild or radishlike.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface purplish black.

Spore Print: Rusty brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 6-9 x 4-5 µ; elliptical; slightly roughened. Cystidia absent.

REFERENCES: (Fries) Gillet, 1874. (Kauffman, 1918; Ammirati, 1972; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Ammirati & Smith, 1989; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Mezler & Mezler, 1992; Barron, 1999.) Herb. Kuo 09110405.

Dermocybe semisanguinea is a synonym.

Further Online Information:

Cortinarius semisanguineus at Tom Volk's Fungi
Cortinarius semisanguineus at Fungi of Poland

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, January). Cortinarius semisanguineus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cortinarius_semisanguineus.html